Safety electric-circuit breaker for automobiles.



C. ALCON. TRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR AUTO APPUCAHON HLED 020.5.1916.

MOBILES.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ALCON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN DOUGHERTY, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed December 5, 1916. Serial N 0. 135,244.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Electric- Circuit Breakers for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for pro tccting automobiles and motor-driven vehicles utilizing an electric spark for igniting a hydro-carbon charge, from theft or operation by unauthorized persons, and the object of the invention is to provide a switch in circuit with the source of electric current and contained within a closed compartment to which access can only be had through a door which preferably is locked by means of a combination lock, for closing the switch, and a further object is to provide quick and easy means for opening the switch without unlocking or opening the door.

I accomplish the above, and other objects which will be disclosed in the appended specification and claims, by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view and partial vertical section of the dash and hood of an automobile showing the assembly and system of electric wiring of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the switchbox on the line 22 of Fig. 4, Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the switch box.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The invention is applicable to boats as well as land vehicles which are driven by a hydro-carbon engine, the hydro-carbon agent in which is exploded by an electric spark generated by a magneto, chemical battery, or other generator direct or from a storage battery.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the vibrator 5 of usual or suitable construction is electrically connected with a magnetogenerator 6, y means of a loW-tensionconducting wire 7. It is also connected with a generating (or storage) battery 8 by a lowtension conducting wire 9. It is also connected with a distributer 10, on the magneto in this showing, by the wire conductor 11, and the distributer distributes the current in the usual way to the spark-plugs 12, of the engine cylinders, here shown as four in nuniber, but more or less cylinders may be 11sec.

The dash 13 is typical of those used on automobiles and 1 1 is the hood, here shown as terminating next the driver with the cowl 15, sometimes called the instrument board, and all of usual construction.

Mounted in an opening formed for the purpose in the cowl is a switch-box 16 of metal or other strong material, with sides and one end closed, and provided with outside flanges 17 at its other end to overlap the cowl-front, to which it is securely riveted. The adjacent end of the box is closed by means of a door 18, havin inside or concealed hinges 19 (see Fig. 4 and it is provided with a combination lock 20, of any usual and suitable construction, by which the door may be securely locked when closed, and can only be unlocked by a person in possession of the combination.

Located within the switch-box is a double knife switch the binding-posts 21 and 22 of which are preferably mounted on a base 23 of insulation, which is removably secured to the bottom of the box by metal clamping strips 24, here shown as by means of screws 25 whereby the front strip may be removed for the easy assembly or removal of the switch, which is desirable for the easy connection of the conductor-wires to the binding posts, at the time of installation or after repairs. The posts 21 and 22 are connected on each side in pairs by blades 26, which are pivoted in slots, to their respective posts 22, and enter between split members in the posts 21. A bar of insulation 27 connects the front ends of the two blades and serves as a handle in manually closing the switch. To this bar a flexible cord 28 is fastened. A hole 29 is formed in the roof of the switch-box, from the front in, past the location below of the handle-bar 27, and an opening 30 at right angles gives communication therewith with the interior of the box, and through these the cord 28 is threaded and is passed outside, where it terminates with sufiicient length to be easily and securely grasped manually. The purpose is to enable the driver of the vehicle to throw the switch blades upwardly and open by pulling on the cord. To prevent the introduction of a wire or'other instrument which might otherwise serve to push the blades down into closed position, I prefer to extend the hole 29 for a considerable distance .farther in than the lateral opening 30.

The wire 7 from the magneto is cut and the severed ends extended into the switchbox and connected with the pair of binding posts on one side of the switch-box, and the wire 9 from the battery is similarly severed and its two ends introduced into the switchbox and connected with the respective binding posts on the other side of the switch-box. It will thus be apparent that when the switch is open all supply of current for igniting the hydro-carbon charge in the cylinders will be cut oh" and the machine is thereby made inoperative.

To prevent tampering with the wires leading to and from the switch-box, I prefer to pass them through a metal pipe 31, seated in the end of the box and terminating within the hood-inclosure on the other side of the dash.

Where there is no cowl, as shown, the switch-box may be similarly assembled on the dash.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the nited States, is

1. A knife-switch, a closed switch-box in which the switch is located, said switch being accessible for closing only through a door-closed opening, a door for said opening, a lock for said door, and a flexible cord attached to the switch and terminating outside of the box for opening the switch, without opening the door by pulling on the cord.

2. A switch-box having access only through a door-closed opening, a door for said opening, a lock for the door, knife-switch, said switch being removably secured within the box, and a flexible cord attached to the switch and terminating outside of the box for opening the switch, without opening the door by pulling on the cord.

3. A switch-box having a door-closed opening and a cord channel opening outside and extending into a wall of the box and then at right angles into the box remote from both ends of the channel, a door for said opening, a lock for the door, a knifeswitch located within the box, and a flexible cord attached to the switch blade and extending through said cord-channel and terminating outside of box.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal. at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 17th day of November, A. D. one thou.- sand nine hundred and sixteen,

CHARLES ALCQN. 

